Another Day in the Forest
by Kage no Getsuei
Summary: Winter has returned to the forest. What will the days hold in store for Kuma and Ookami-san? Rated T for now.


It was another day in the forest, cold and dark, as were most days this time of year. Winter was here, and was showing no signs of relinquishing its hold. Hundreds upon hundreds of snowflakes crashed down from the grey sky. Visibility was nearly non-existent. Violent northern winds didn't help with the matter, blowing snow every which way, chilling everything in its path. The storm raged on.

A lone wolf trudged through the mountains of snow, his progress slowed to a crawl as wind whipped at his face and falling snow stung his eyes. His round wire-framed glasses did very little to protect him from the elements. In these conditions, he was extremely grateful for his good sense of smell and ability to withstand a great amount of cold. Eyes screwed shut – protecting them from the storm – he brought down his arm he was using to protect his face in order to tilt his head up, smelling the air.

 _Shit! Where the hell did that bastard go?_

There was no longer any trace of the scent. Growling in irritation, Ookami didn't bother to scan the ground; the tracks he had been following were already covered up by the blowing snow. For the past few week, a lone outsider wolf has been nearly terrorizing his pack. Food was uncommonly scarce in the area this winter. His pack had of a few great hunters, managing to find enough prey to keep them going through the long harsh season as they wandered through their vast territory. However, this outsider didn't seem to have what it took to survive well on his own. At first, he'd been spotted near their kills, attempting to scavenge whatever might have been left behind. When this didn't prove to yield any results, he ended up terrorizing the pack, following just beyond their reach when confronted, but approaching, stealing from, and even attacking the younger members when they weren't protected and at their most vulnerable.

As the leader, Ookami was forced to take action. He certainly wasn't going to stand idly by as his family members were threatened. Taking matters into his own hands, he had their pack stick together – watching over each other at all times – and directed them to continue on without him. Traveling in the opposite direction, he left to personally hunt down the gutless bastard until he either left their territory for good, or was killed. The blond wolf was itching to have his claws dig into that moron's throat, but would be content with either outcome.

Smelling his surroundings, the wolf wasn't ready yet to resign his hunt and tried in vain to pick up the scent of his prey. However, within such a storm, there was no way he'd be able to pick up such an elusive trail. He looked back. Through the thick layer of falling snow, he couldn't see anything but variating shades of grey and white. Even though his eyesight proved useless in these extreme conditions, he knew he was much too far from his pack. It would be impossible to reach them without risking freezing to death on the way back. And there was no way he'd head back now, not without making sure that creep learned his lesson.

A strong wind blew past him, nearly toppling him over. He shivered as a strong chill traveled through his whole body. His jaw began to chatter. Cold was setting in. He knew that it was a fool's errand, venturing out in the middle of a violent snow storm. One would be absolutely insane to try. It was nothing short of a suicide mission. If he was lucky, the bastard would die out here without proper shelter. In fact, he might be faced with that same fate if he didn't give up on his chase and find refuge anytime soon. After one last attempt to track that elusive scent of his prey, Ookami let out an irritated sigh before setting his sights on his new target. This was his valley, and he knew it well. He knew exactly where he could go to find refuge.

Rounding the corner, the entrance to a cave was barely visible through the falling snow. The wolf didn't hesitate to enter, relieved to be out of the harsh wind. The difference was instantaneous. Even though the air was still pretty cool in this relatively large cave, it was much more comfortable than being outside, in the raging storm. It didn't take long for his eyes to adjust to the darkness since it wasn't much brighter outside. Looking around, he spotted a mass of blankets in a corner. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it wasn't just a pile of blankets. This was a bear's den – Kuma's home. Kuma was fast asleep in his bed, as usual. The notion of sleeping for a whole winter seemed so strange from a wolf's perspective. However, he had become accustomed to it, seeing his friend sleep through yet another winter.

Approaching the makeshift bed, Ookami observed the bear's sleeping form. He looked much better this winter compared to the last – much healthier. That idiot. He had almost starved himself because he went out of his way to take care of him. With the memory resurfacing, the wolf unconsciously brought his hand up to his chest, fingering his scar through the material of his shirt. If it weren't for Kuma, he'd be in much worse shape. Staring back down, he peeked over the edge of the blanket to have a better look at his friend's face. Unruly dark hair didn't quite cover closed eyelids. He was breathing softly, oblivious to his surroundings. He seemed so peaceful.

Still shivering from the cold, Ookami decided he might as well get comfortable and wait out the storm. While the wind and snow battled outside, he didn't have to worry about that creep getting to his family. It was impossible to travel in that. They would be safe together, hiding away from the storm. Besides, his pack was traveling away from here.

Curling up near Kuma, Ookami partially laid on the stray bed, seeking warmth. Attempting to relax, he couldn't help but notice that this whole place smelt like his friend: a mix of dry hay, grasses and berries, creating a sweet scent with a hint of fresh pine. He found that he didn't dislike it. It was, in fact, a very familiar and comforting smell. That, with the sound of Kuma's gentle, steady breathing effortlessly lulled him into a deep, relaxing sleep.

* * *

Kuma slowly awoke from his deep sleep; tiredness clung to his heavy eyelids and hazy consciousness. Something roused him from his slumber and he fought with his drowsiness to find what that was.

 _Hmmm… that smell…_

That's right. That's what it was. A new, yet extremely familiar scent was present in his den. Looking around, he struggled to focus on his surroundings. Lying barely within arm's reach, he found what he was looking for. Ookami-san was lying partially on his bed and blanket.

"What-…? What are you doing here… Ookami-san?"

No response. Was he sleeping? Kuma reached out, feeling cool skin beneath his warm hands. He was shocked at how cold the other felt. Pulling him onto his hay bed, careful as to not rouse the sleeping wolf, he draped both of them under the warm blanket. Holding the other close, the dark haired bear gazed into the sleeping face of the one he loved so, letting his fingers slide through light silvery blond hair. He couldn't believe it. Ookami-san was here, in his arms.

Content, he held onto the other as sleep reclaimed him.

 **A/N : New story! And it's about Ookami-san and Kuma! I find there's not enough stories about these two.  
But no worries, I'm still working on my other stories. I just got inspired to write this one. :3  
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Let me know what you think!**

 **Until next time,  
** **Getsuei**


End file.
